Speaker help please for $2000 US

I just replaced my 1.6's with a pair of Newform Research R645's. Both sound phenomenal with acoustic music. John at Newform is a great designer and I would recommend calling or emailing him. The 645's are $2265 delivered and you have a 30 day satisfaction guarantee (5 year warranty). The smaller 630's are $1516; he also has blems and demos for less sometimes. Both speakers are unbelievable performers and one would be hardpressed to find this level of sound with comparably priced box speakers. Email me if you'd like any more info/comparisons. Mike

hi olga,

check out newform research's r645 on their www. also check out the user-reviews on audioreview, accesable from newform's site. these can be had for $2265 delivered; w/a 30-day in-home trial - if ya don't like 'em, yure only out the shipping charges to send 'em back. take note of the quality of the ancillary equipment used by the reviewers, & the quality of the loudspeakers these are compared to. also, john meyer, newform's owner/designer *is* a great person to deal with.

no, i don't own these - yet! i *am* going to get a pair, tho. and, this from a cheapskate, who almost *always* buys equipment used - better value! (i have invested ~$12k into my stereo over the years - retail is ~$35k). :>) in this case, i believe that this will be the best value for my $2265, even compared w/what's awailable used for this amount of money.

regards, doug

Take a look at accessories4less.com. They are the authorized Internet liquidator for Acoustic Research. I purchased a pair of AR302's for $250 + $75/shipping (list $1000) and have teamed them with ADCOM power & pre-amps & a SONY ES CD player. I am using 8" glass blocks as stands. Sound is smooth; detailed; ... pretty fantastic. My acoustic folk musical tastes lean towards Bill Staines; Nancy Griffiths; etc. They also sell the AR1's (Stereophile Class B) for about $1200 a pair. Good luck.

Olga, this poses a real problem. I think that the speakers could suffer some damage on the dog-sled during a 450 mile trip, and of course there is always the possibility that the alpha-husky will relieve himself on the cargo. I have found most folk to be acoustic, even when they prudently should not be, but it's nice to hear that someone listens to them. Of course, the real problem is your vaulted-ceiling. This is a novel idea, keeping the igloo warm by vaulting the ceiling? Isn't there a possibility of condensation on the audio equipment potentially causing an electrical shock? Of course, you use a generator as your power supply, but doesn't that create a sound pressure problem? You could overcome that I suppose simply by increasing the volume on your amplifier so that it is louder than the generator. Well, one thing is certain, you do not have to worry about the equipment overheating and the sound of Joan Baez blaring over the speakers will scare away the polar bears. As to which brand of speaker will work well in your location, it's clear that any of the ones that use antifreeze should do the trick. Of course you like *active, quick sound* because if it were any slower it would freeze as it travels the distance from the speakers to your ears. However, I have always found Joan Baez voice to be somewhat chilling anyway. Good luck, and keep us posted as to the progress you make in your search for hi-fi in the tundra.